World Quarterly Retail Systems Outlook on POS Systems; Handheld Terminals and Tablet PC Markets - 1Q 2005

Heightened competition in the retail environment is forcing most retailers to embrace business innovation solutions based on customer, employee, and product effectiveness metrics. Retailers are, in particular spending on technologies such as point-of-sale (POS) systems, handheld terminals (HHTs), and tablet personal computers (PCs). The edge of the retail arena, the store, has become the focal point of technology convergence. Hence, retailers continue to remain diligent about investments, carefully basing them on quicker return on investment (ROI) and lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

This Frost & Sullivan research service analyzes the three key technologies in retail: POS systems, HHTs/mobile data computers, and tablet PCs. It discusses in-depth unit shipments and revenue forecast analysis by retail segment and retailer tier for World, North America, Latin America, EMEA and APAC regions. Thus, individual technology markets are analyzed by thirty-two different segments through a combination of two retailer tiers within four retail segments across four geographies. This would facilitate in-depth understanding of current and future market forces into actionable strategic marketing initiatives.

Multi-functioning Capabilities Boost Adoption

New generation POS systems and HHTs have wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), radio frequency identification (RFID), and smart card capabilities that make them highly versatile. "The incremental ability of POS systems to provide greater speeds and visibility to the retail value chain can truly facilitate evolving retail innovations," points out the analyst of this research service. "This very ability, coupled with the burden of legacy POS systems, has made POS replenishment decisions a priority for most retailers." The Latin American and Asia Pacific regions continue to offer growth options for POS shipments.

Ruggedized and retail HHTs have brought in mobility and real-time ability to retail enterprises. HHT offerings span supply chain, in-store (manager, store associate, and consumer), and mobile point-of-sale (MPOS) applications. Meanwhile, retailers are applying ruggedized tablet PCs for improving associate productivity and customer shopping experience. Streamlining the supply chain, improving employee productivity and customer facing applications are expected to aid tablet PC adoption in retail. Nevertheless, this is likely to be slow, especially in the in-store space due to cost issues and lack of clarity in item-level RFID adoption.

Retail Technology Vendors Race to Re-position Themselves as Solution Partners

As many retailers have picked up the pace of spending on technology, they are seeking technology vendors that are willing to share their risks as well as rewards by entering into partnership with them. "As retailers prepare to replace legacy and leverage convergence for profitable differentiation, retail technology vendors are racing to re-position themselves as solution partners," says the analyst. This has led to an increased competition amongst retail technology vendors with new entrants and pure-play vendors broadening their portfolio to offer end-to-end solutions.

Technology vendors in the POS, HHTs, and tablet PC space are focusing on providing multifunctional device architectures capable of forward and backward integration into the retail value chain. By leveraging on newer RFID, smart card, and Wi-Fi technologies, these vendors are collaborating with retailers to address customer, profitability, and operational challenges. This partnership approach between retailers and solution vendors is likely to provide much needed growth over the long term.

1. Introduction

        1. Introduction

                1. Introduction

                2. Scope and Explanatory Notes



2. Point of Sale (POS) Market Measurements

        1. Introduction

                1. Introduction and Definition

        2. World POS Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total World POS Quarterly Forecast

        3. APAC POS Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total APAC POS Quarterly Forecast

        4. EMEA POS Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total EMEA POS Quarterly Forecast

        5. Latin America POS Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total Latin America POS Quarterly Forecast

        6. North America POS Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total North America POS Quarterly Forecast



3. Handheld Terminal (HHT) Market Measurements

        1. Introduction

                1. Introduction and Definition

        2. World HHT Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total World HHT Quarterly Forecast

        3. APAC HHT Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total APAC HHT Quarterly Forecast

        4. EMEA HHT Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total EMEA HHT Quarterly Forecast

        5. Latin America HHT Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total Latin America HHT Quarterly Forecast

        6. North America HHT Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total North America HHT Quarterly Forecast



4. Tablet PC Market Measurements

        1. Introduction

                1. Introduction and Definition

        2. World Tablet PC Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total World Tablet PC Quarterly Forecast

        3. APAC Tablet PC Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total APAC Tablet PC Quarterly Forecast

        4. EMEA Tablet PC Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total EMEA Tablet PC Quarterly Forecast

        5. Latin America Tablet PC Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total Latin America Tablet PC Quarterly Forecast

        6. North America Tablet PC Quarterly Forecast

                1. Convenience and Retail Petroleum

                2. Food Service and Hospitality

                3. Drug and Merchandise Retail

                4. Grocery

                5. Total North America Tablet PC Quarterly Forecast